Wakeup Laughing

Wisdom, warmth, and humor from a renowned Zen Master. The compassion, humor, and practical intelligence of one of Korea's foremost Zen masters shines throughout this new collection of Dharma talks. On each page, Master Daehaeng reveals how everything in daily life, even the ugly and difficult parts, can become the fuel for our spiritual growth. Her illuminating insight will guide the reader toward an understanding of her ultimate teaching -- know yourself, trust yourself, and go forward, no matter what your current life situation might be. At turns laughing and scolding, always engaging, Zen Master Daehaeng exhorts, cajoles, and instructs readers in their practice. These Dharma talks -- gathered over several years -- are like having Master Daehaeng at your side, urging you on. The question-and-answer sessions with students are particularly enlightening; readers will find that the students' questions mirror their own and that Master Daehaeng’s responses guide them on.

In dozens of creative takes on the ordinary, author Rachel St. John-Gilbert uses quirky humor to satisfy your hunger for a fresh, challenging devotional journal. Each just-right-sized reading combines unusual observations on everyday life experiences with spiritual applications that promise to encourage and inspire.

Start your day off right - every day of the year with "365 Ways to Wake Up Laughing" - And begin each day with a carefree attitude. One laugh a day guarantees you'll wake up with a smile on your face and sunshine in your heart.

Every day we have a choice on how to navigate our journey. Life is full of change and it’s a personal decision as to whether we adapt, ignore, or resist transition. Each one of us encounters challenges, but it is how we move through them that determines who we become. Lynn Lok-Payne experienced the unimaginable with the unexpected loss of her husband and a house fire just weeks later. In the midst of these life-changing events, one right after another, she began looking for a better way to not only heal, but also find fulfillment once again. Wake Up! Change Up! Rise Up! is an inspirational story interwoven with self-help techniques to live a more joyful, meaningful life. In her search for answers, she discovered that by clinging to the old stories we tell ourselves—like how our titles dictate our lives or how we’re not good enough—we diminish our own well-being. Sometimes we are afraid to let these narratives go, because if we did, who would we be? Once she decided to change this internal dialogue, her inner voice became stronger and the number of things to be grateful for began to grow. Lynn found that personal transformation is possible when we allow ourselves to flow through change instead of resist it. We have the inner tools to navigate life’s unexpected turns. Wake Up! Change Up! Rise Up! inspires us to: · Accept change and revise outdated beliefs · Let go of the Blame Shame Game · Find healing through gratitude · Cultivate well-being using practical exercises such as affirmations, meditation, and writing · Uncover a more purposeful, happy, and authentic life Lynn’s journey illustrates that with time, we can create a more empowering story line and become the next chapter of who we are meant to be. The language we use has the power to change our perspective and when we connect to our personal truth, we can truly thrive. Be the magnet for what you want to appear in your life. You are the solution.

This real-life inspired, yet fictional, young adult and adult fable focuses on a young Inyupiaq (Northern Native Alaskan) who was born into a troubled home when the U.S. was just beginning its involvement with her rural arctic village. The text, interwoven with Emily Dickinson inspired poetry, is comprised of vivid descriptions of Alaskan tundra, intense and whimsical dialogue between varied dynamic characters, and action-filled, intelligent, and suspenseful narrative as Samantha ventures into endless Alaska. One day, Sam wakes up after one of her fathers drunken evenings and leaves her arctic village in the middle of winter with nothing but the essentials to survive. Mid-walk, she encounters a polar bear and its cub. With her home blocked by these territorial gargantuas, she is tempted to take an adventure into the -20 - -40 degree weather. With her questionable choice, she ends up having to fend off off wildlife, the elements, and even polar bear. A mere 80 miles from the Arctic Ocean in the Alaskan wilderness, Sam begins to redefine her perspective on the lifelong stories she has heard from elders, her relationship with her seized sister, supportive best friend, goofy uncle, drunk father, and troubled mother. She even begins to change her perspective on interracial relations.

*A New York Public Library Best Children's Book of 2018!* *A Washington Post Best Children's Book of 2018* *A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2018* In Detroit, 1945, eleven-year-old Betty’s house doesn’t quite feel like home. She believes her mother loves her, but she can’t shake the feeling that her mother doesn’t want her. Church helps those worries fade, if only for a little while. The singing, the preaching, the speeches from guest activists like Paul Robeson and Thurgood Marshall stir African Americans in her community to stand up for their rights. Betty quickly finds confidence and purpose in volunteering for the Housewives League, an organization that supports black-owned businesses. Soon, the American civil rights icon we now know as Dr. Betty Shabazz is born. Inspired by Betty's real life--but expanded upon and fictionalized through collaboration with novelist Renée Watson--Ilyasah Shabazz illuminates four poignant years in her mother’s childhood with this book, painting an inspiring portrait of a girl overcoming the challenges of self-acceptance and belonging that will resonate with young readers today. Backmatter included. This title has Common Core connections.